modified	Saturday 9 May 2026

Edited: Saturday 9 May 2026

Fast, Git-native framework for building knowledge bases

XLog is a static site generator optimized for digital gardens and personal wikis. Written in Go with 37 built-in extensions for backlinks, hashtags, search, and more.

⚡ Quick Start ¶

1go install github.com/emad-elsaid/xlog/cmd/xlog@latest
2mkdir my-notes
3cd my-notes
4echo "# Hello World" > index.md
5xlog
6# => Browse to http://localhost:3000

🚀 Why XLog? ¶

Optimized for Knowledge Work ¶

Written in Go, optimized for markdown-heavy sites with bidirectional links. With its live preview server and hot-reload, XLog lets you write in your favorite editor and see changes instantly.

Flexible Framework ¶

With its 37 built-in extensions (hashtags, backlinks, search, photos, todos), XLog is widely used for personal wikis, research notes, documentation, and learning journals.

Developer-Friendly ¶

Extension API for customization, filesystem-based (no database), Git-native workflow, and works with any text editor (Vim, Emacs, VS Code).

Embedded Web Server ¶

Use XLog’s embedded web server during writing to instantly see changes. Generate static sites for deployment to GitHub Pages, Netlify, or any host.

🔑 Core Features ¶

Automatic Page Linking - Simply mention a page name; XLog creates the link automatically
Bidirectional Backlinks - Automatic backlinks show page relationships
Live Preview - Hot-reload shows changes as you save
Fast - Renders large knowledge bases in seconds
Extensible - 37 built-in extensions, easy to add more
Git-Native - Filesystem-based, version control friendly
Flexible Output - Serve locally or generate static sites

📊 How XLog Compares ¶

Feature	XLog	Other Static Generators	Cloud Tools
Backlinks	✅ Automatic	❌ Manual	✅ Built-in
Live Preview	✅ Hot-reload	✅ Dev server	✅ Cloud
Editor	Desktop (Any)	Desktop (Any)	Browser
Hosting	Self/Static	Static	Cloud only
Price	Free	Free	$8-16/mo
Privacy	100% Local	100% Local	Cloud

XLog sits between pure static generators and cloud-based tools - offering knowledge-base features with complete ownership of your data.

📌 Use Cases ¶

Personal Wiki - Interconnected notes with automatic backlinks
Research Notes - Organize papers, citations, and ideas
Documentation - Team knowledge bases and project docs
Learning Journal - Study notes with hashtags and search
Digital Garden - Public or private knowledge sharing

🎯 How It Works ¶

Write - Create markdown files in your text editor
Preview - Run xlog for live preview with hot-reload
Enhance - Automatic backlinks, hashtags, and search
Deploy - Generate static site with xlog -build output/

Editor Workflow: When you click “Edit” in the browser, XLog opens the file in your configured editor (VS Code, Vim, Emacs, etc). Save the file, and the browser automatically refreshes.